Of Myriad Reminiscences

Even a lifetime is less to know a person or a place completely, they say. But maybe that does not hold true for these two years that I have spent in this institution that I now call home. 

My college is like A.R Rahman songs. One does not seem to like it at first, because of its ‘atrangi-ness’. And then it gradually grows on you, becomes a part of you. I remember how grumpy I was when I came for the orientation before the session commenced, back in June 2014. I did not want to study here as all my friends remained at my former college. It was at the Sophia Bhabha Hall that I had met a really cheerful girl who till date has been there and seen all the ups and downs of my life, only to become a part of my journey. I also met another angel in my first year of BMM who I know will stick with me till my last breath. This is what Sophia does to you. It gives you the best of people. And you should hold onto them, while you can.

I don’t need a lifetime to create those infinite memories at Sophia. I just need the peaceful Den Corridor that gives wings to the hidden emotions of my heart. I can sit there for countless hours with a diary and a pen. 

I need the canteen that has never failed to satiate my hunger pangs with its Veg Indian Mini Meal and Mysore Masala Dosa, coupled with my daily dose of cutting chai. The fondest of memories were made during the Kaleidoscope season, when we ran helter-skelter to meet deadlines, had endless meetings at the BMM steps, were shouted at/ by our seniors (Without whom we would have never learnt the tricks of the trade) and just threw our bodies on the floor at the Den Corridor after the day’s hard work. One of the happiest moments was singing ‘Boom-Snap-Clap’ at the Marble Stairs with an almost infectious level of enthusiasm.

Like all the rozy things, I have had bad memories too, which only made me blossom and toughen up, as an individual. Dr.Colaco, being the task-master that she has always been, has made me cry for innumerable times in the last two years, only to appreciate my work later and make me happy about myself. The professors at times have made me feel like I am not worth anything, only to make me feel like I can conquer the world, the very next moment. And therein lies the trick, you see. They never shower compliments in your face. They do it behind your back, so as to refrain you from getting heady and over confident.

I have a suitcase full of memories-from different people in the college. Sister Roza who never ceases to motivate me; the canteen bhaiyas who often get chatty and pardon me for not having ‘chillar’; Jyoti Ma’am at the gym who patiently listens to those constant rantings about my fat thighs and tells me that they are not; the watchmen who have restricted my entry for not carrying the ID card, for god alone knows how many times; the strict disciplinarians I had to encounter during my once-in-a-blue-moon visit to the library; among others.

However, there are two things that make me teary-eyed. Our batch has 68 students who never really got along with each other, until today, as I write this piece of nostalgia. ‘Groupism’, as the coinage goes, prevailed in SYBMM. The class had internal politics (or so they say) and there were undefined barriers created by us. We never got the appreciation we deserved, as a batch. Or maybe everything had a right time. And the second year of college was that time when all the professors spoke highly of us as a batch and appreciated us for our projects. They helped us bond as a class by dividing the batch into different teams, about which we were initially very unhappy, only to realize later that this was a conscious effort by the department to make us one cohesive unit and strengthen our bond. This was followed by a series of class photographs with our favorite professors posing for us, and our public display of affection on social media. We also had a Stress Management session, conducted by one of my favorite professors, wherein we were asked to bare our heart out and speak about a few undesirable chapters from our book of life, that had deterred us from rising all this while. I remember how almost half of the class wept and howled while narrating their anecdotes and how there was empathy on each face. Opening up, takes a great deal dexterity, after all. That day was historic. We were all emotionally naked. And it is going to bring a smile on my face when I become a feeble, old lady and come back to my roots to attend the re-union at the Central Lawn.

This institution helps you discover yourself, moulds you into what you thought you would never become and takes you to places. Sophia is not just a college; it is an epitome of perfection, amidst all its imperfections. 

For life is Sophia, and Sophia is life.

Oindrilla Gupta SYBMM 2015-16

Who would have thought that college life will be so much fun?

Who would have thought that college life will be so much fun? 

I remember the first day I entered the Sophia Hostel. I was a bit reluctant to leave my comfort zone and very hesitant to start a new chapter in a completely different city far away from my hometown. When I reached the campus, I was awed. I felt so happy on just the thought of staying in this beautiful campus for the rest of the year. 

Fortunately or unfortunately, I was allotted the only six-sharing room. Room 15. So many memories are attached with this room. I was obviously scared at the prospect of sharing my room with five other people who were complete strangers to me. The first night was spent getting to know each other and also getting familiar with the surroundings, routines, rules and our wonderful, helpful seniors. 

Slowly as the time passed, I started settling in my new life. Soon our classes started too. The first day itself was amazing as nearly the whole day was spent introducing ourselves to our peers and teachers and the fact that we were 72 of us in FYBMM was thrilling. Eventually, we had been divided into groups and were already given project deadlines. Coming back to my hostel life, I wasn’t coping that well. I would be homesick a lot as it was still a new experience for me. But soon I had made quite a few friends in the hostel who guided me throughout the year. 

The most amazing part of hostel life was the dance parties that the TY batch, joined by the SY’s and FY’s, had every second day. Be it any weekday or someone’s birthday, these dance parties were the best. The terrace was our ‘Adda’. Whether we wanted to have our gossip sessions, or dance parties, or hold meetings regarding the farewells and K-Scope, the terrace was the only place for that. The hostel was totally a different place during K-Scope. We would have day scholars over who would stay with us, sharing our beds or sleeping on the floor (making it look like a slumber party!!). And believe me that once K-Scope ended, our hostel felt so boring for a few days until we came back to our routine. 

The evenings would be amazing, with people scurrying away after roll call to either cook Maggi, or watch a movie in the wifi area, wash their clothes or take a bath. Soon, our first semester exams were just around the corner and the environment of the whole hostel changed. You could see each and every corner filled with girls studying either in groups or alone. The serious atmosphere was a boon as the concentration level was at the maximum then. Then came the semester break we all were awaiting. I won’t be kidding when I say that I actually missed hostel while I was at home. 

The second semester was exciting too. The last two months of the year were spent in sports week, college day and of course Christmas celebration. The most exciting part was the KKSS. Everyone was so excited to give and receive gifts secretly. A week before we left for our Christmas break, we hostelites also went carol singing to raise money for charity. And once we came back, it was time to prepare for the farewell. We FY’s had the responsibility of giving a grand hostel farewell to the passing batch, and indeed we did give one smashing farewell. 

Soon followed the college farewell and the respective department farewells (in my case, the BMM farewell). Before we knew it, our semester-end exams were on top of our heads and once again the environment in our hostel turned serious. I was very excited to leave this place and once again be with my family. The last day of exams turned into the first day of packing. I remember saying goodbyes to my roommates with whom I had spent the past eight-nine months in my second home. Since I was the last one to leave among the six of us, I practically had the whole room to myself for two whole days. 

As I type this out, I wish that may the next session be as amazing as the previous one if not more than that.

Sonakshi Srivastava FYBMM (2015-16)

Proud Sophiate

"You're just a seventeen year-old girl and we have never allowed you to travel alone in Kolkata. How can we then allow you to go to all the way to Mumbai and study in Sophia College?" My grandmother asked a prickly question. Several uncles and aunts amplified it, "You did humanities in your high school so it hardly makes a difference what degree you pursue". I put my foot down, howsoever small it was at that time…I want to do BMM and study in Sophia! As a first generation undergraduate student from my family, I could understand their utter bewilderment about my decision and resolve.

With firm support and encouragement from my parents, I could finally make it to Sophia College for Women in 2007. It was beginning of a new chapter in my life and I never looked back since then. The Sophia family, Colaco Ma'am, Sr.Anila and Lavanya Ma’am believed in my dreams at a time when nobody else did. The spirit and values of Sophia taught me to be a critical thinker, instilling virtues of independence and courage. At every step, I was encouraged to speak out my mind, which was a refreshing experience for someone coming from an ingrained patriarchal setup. Today as an international development professional, I deal with several obstacles and smash stereotypes that shackle independent spirit of women. Now I truly understand the subtext of Sophia’s motto and crest – ‘Urdhva Mula’ (Roots Upwards). I also stand as a proud Sophiate and aspire to be an example to those questioning relevance of social sciences and women's education in our society. On the celebratory occasion of Platinum Jubilee, I congratulate Sophia College and express my gratitude for making a big difference in my life and the lives of several women for decades.  

Shreyashi Dasgupta is a Jawaharlal Nehru Cambridge PhD Scholar at the University of Cambridge, U.K and is a member of Girton College. She graduated from Sophia College for Women in 2010.

First Time in Sophia

I’m a First Year in Sophia College for Women and have the good fortune to be a part of the 75^th or Platinum Jubilee Batch.

So, I’ve been in a co-ed institution all my life and like a typical product of a co-ed school, I had a not-so-good opinion about an all-gender institution.
And wow, did Sophia correct my idiocy.

On my first day, I was very timid because it was a new crowd and I’d been in the city for only 3 months. I had no idea what to expect or how to approach someone or how to initiate a conversation. Another issue was that I couldn’t locate the room to ACTUALLY get to the students and I’d arrived an hour early before the FYBMM classes began.  I roamed all the floors of the Annex to finally reach Room 31 and luckily, some girls came an hour early like me. We introduced ourselves with a simple hi-hello and my-name-is-so-and-so. Of course, there was a certain amount of awkwardness in the air that day but we overcame it by talking about where each one is from and what they expect on the first day. We sat in the class that day, about 6-7 of us who came an hour early and about  10 minutes to go before the first period, the class was full of a bunch of laughter and new friendships.

The classes went on smoothly and did the work of introducing each of us to the other when the teachers asked us to talk about ourselves. We went to the canteen to fill our empty and anxious stomachs and were greeted by huge crowds and about 15 minutes till the next class so, most of us settled with drinking ice tea or cold coffee from the coffeewala. Throughout the day, our seniors came to our classes and spoke to us; told us the do’s and don’t’s of BMM and told us that we can approach them with any problem.

The days that followed were (still are) spent becoming friends, getting to know one another and exploring the pink walls of Sophia.

It’s been a month now, since I’ve had a chance to call the strong, pink walls my home. I am still shy but I know, for sure, that Sophia will turn that around and I can’t wait for it.

Here’s to Sophia!

Apoorva Menon
FYBMM 2017

From a Lit Single Major, With Love

From a Lit Single Major, With Love

When I came to college in 2012, with my heart in my mouth, I didn’t know what to expect. I was too overwhelmed by everything around me. There was only one way I knew how to deal with the unsettling reality: I read. I read until my eyes stung; until the words on the pages started blurring into each other.

Attending my first Literature class is something that I will never forget. I slipped in through the back door, a little skeptical, and also somewhat irritated because every inch of the wooden benches seemed occupied. Out of sheer desperation, I sandwiched myself between four boisterous, over-excited girls. I thought to myself: “Okay, let’s see how this introductory class is. If I don’t like it, I’ll probably change my subject.”

But from the minute Ms. Jihasa entered the class (it was Room 12 if I remember correctly) and addressed us - quietly, clearly, but with an air that simply commanded respect - I was hooked. I felt like a book-starved eight-year-old who’d finally been presented with a Malory Towers/St Clare’s omnibus after months and months of begging. I was thrilled.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of every Lit class during my first two years - whether it was taught by Ms. Samrita, Ms. Damini or Ms. Jihasa - I never thought of choosing it as my subject in TY. I was too….blinded, shall I say, by Psychology. But when the time came to fill the form for TY, I knew what I had to choose. All thoughts of Psych flew out of the window, never to return. I wanted Lit. I needed Lit - up until that moment, I hadn’t realized just how badly.

My final year was my most memorable one. I owe everything to the Department of English. My classmates and I often referred to Ms. Damini as “one of us” - she was so easygoing and friendly, and such an inspiration. She’d make me want to read up on all sorts of interesting things that weren’t part of the syllabus but helped us all the same. The news of her resignation came as a rude shock. Oh, well. Ms. Samrita was my supervisor for the research paper that I co-authored for the Young Adult Literature seminar. Being mentored by her was such a wonderful experience. She’d clear all my endless doubts, unraveling each cobweb with admirable patience.  As a teacher, she is so erudite and such a treasure trove of knowledge….my favorite class with her was 20th-century British Literature. Thanks to her, my love for Existentialism, and Theatre of the Absurd, has only grown; and shows no sign of abating.

Ms. Nishtha is one of the cutest teachers whom I’ve ever known. What I learnt from her was that no matter what happens - no matter how many curveballs life throws our way - we will always have literature to seek solace in. That thought slows my heart rate and calms me down. Ms. Jihasa will forever be the one who ignited the spark and set the ball rolling….I cannot be more grateful to her even if I tried. If I could, I would spend every minute in her class. Being her student completely transformed my approach to - and perception of - literature. She has had a significant influence on me.

The end is always reserved for the most special thing or person, isn’t it? In a way, I am indeed saving the best for the last (but certainly not the least).... Sr. Ananda. Head of the Department; Principal of the College. She is the backbone of the institution, and I have such a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for her. Her steady calmness puts things into perspective like little else does. She was the person whom I came home to, at the end of a long and tiring day, and she knew just what to say to take away the sting. The way she taught enthralled me - she transformed literature into a welcome ocean in which I could willingly drown myself. I draw immense strength from her warmth and gentleness.

“You can take the girl out of Lit, but you can’t take Lit out of the girl”.....and for that, I have no one to thank but my wonderfully encouraging and supportive teachers. Thank you, each one of you, for making it magical. I take a little bit of you with me wherever I go.   

-       Shreya Iyengar

            Batch of 2015

A Sociology Major's Story

Tanya Munshi (Age 37)

Sociology Major, 2001 Batch

Current profile - Founder, The Lifestyle Portal (www.tanyamunshi.com)

1. How was your experience here?

Come to think of it, after passing out of Sophia's, it's feels more like a 'second home' for me and I miss college a lot. Every time I cross our college building on the way to a meeting or work my mind goes back to the fun filled days of college life - with friends, loads of fun laughter, fun moments with professors during a class and of course sharing our tiffins with each other during recess. :)

2. What have I learnt that has still remained with me?

When we joined college, we were told that our 10th grade percentages didn't matter to them. During our orientation at FYJC, we were told that they believed that each one of us girls are capable of being far better than our potential and that Sophia's didn't believe in limiting themselves in judging a student on the basis of marks or percentages. This gave me a lot of confidence that if they believed in me, and if I'm studying in such an esteemed institution, then I must be really good and I worked really hard to prove myself and I think I did reasonably well. 

3. What am I pursue currently and why did I choose it?

Well, after graduating in Sociology, I studied Communications & Media from SNDT Women's University (Juhu). I started writing lifestyle features, children's books and e-learning ever since. Now 15 years down the line, I'm now training myself in the space of parent-child bonding and writing parenting articles. I love writing and photography and being a Sociology student it has opened up my mind to see things in a different light. 

4. Has Sophia's helped you get where I am now and how?

Of course!! Remember, education is everything. My father is a retired army officer and my mother a homemaker, both my brother and I had the gift of education to help us get where we are. I owe my foundation to Sophia's. I didn't enjoy school as much, but I loved coming to college as they're serious about the studies. I would travel all the way from Kandivali to Peddar Road for five years. I know how hard my parents worked to bring us up and the least I could do was study well and attend college and graduate with a first class. That's almost every family's dream, isn't it? And how can we do that? When the educational institute is encouraging and positive as well. I firmly believe that schools and colleges should be partners in parenting and Sophia's culture and tradition reinforced my belief and today I'm so thankful to the institute. 

5. If you'd do anything differently during your time here, what would it be?

This would not be easy to answer. You see, we studied at a time when things were not as busy and hectic as it is today. Life was still enjoyable, we didn't have technology seep into our lives, mobile phones were yet to enter the student phase, so we landed up having quality friendships and focused more on each other than gadgets and brands. For our generation (this makes me sound so old, lol!) Sophia's was the perfect ambience. 

I loved my space there, I would at times take my novel and sit in the large balcony or the Marble Stairs and read on my own enjoying my quiet time during a break. In fact, come to think of it, there was something for everyone at Sophia's. 

6. How has Sophia's changed me since I was a student there?

I think Sophia's turns girls into ladies. :) I used to be a tomboy in school and when I joined college in FYJC I realised that there are so many facets to a girl/ woman, how they dress up and come to college. When I first joined college, I felt I was living in an Archie's comic book - all the girls, especially the seniors walked so confidently in smart, fashionable clothes. I was amazed. I learnt to enjoy life along with studies - Sophia's helped me to strike that balance. :) 

Apart from that, Sophia's has given me a good set of friends, wonderful memories, fantastic professors, a great campus life, Kaleidoscope, the cute little stationary store where I would buy second-hand books such as Pride and Prejudice and read during my train journeys from home to college and back. 

At the risk of sounding preachy, I'd like to add that we must understand that there are several people in the world who would love to attend a school or college but can't. We should be thankful that we get to come to such a wonderful institute and learn something that prepares us for the life ahead. No matter what, education and learning will always be a woman's strength if used wisely and we should never take this for granted.

"To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield."

Muddling my way up the marble stairs to a quiet, dimly dappled room by the office, to illegally direct some seniors working on a production of a female version of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, I was all a-tremble. Being a knee high to a grasshopper junior college student, I had been told candidly by my seniors to be an invisible director. Under no circumstances was this clandestine directorial debut to be leaked. So there I was a week into rehearsal, playing a fly on the wall director meekly offering suggestion

It was all going very well. But then, on what seemed like a tranquil afternoon where nothing possibly could disturb the creative flow, Sister Ananda glided into the room unexpectedly. She had come to see how things were shaping up. I felt a queasy sense of doom. Just as I was trying to disappear into the wall, facing up to the possibility that perhaps this would be my last day as a director and maybe even a student of the college, Sister Ananda calmly interrupted the violent hiccups in my brain. "What is your name, child?" Here it comes I thought. "My name is Roo". The words fumbled out of my mouth apologetically. "It's from Winnie the Pooh" I justified, immediately feeling profoundly dim. "Have you had anything to do with the rehearsals, child?" A benevolent senior came to my rescue and explained that I had merely been helping out a little. "There has been a marked improvement. I hope you will be at rehearsal tomorrow" she said to me, and elegantly disappeared into one of the corridors with a mountain of papers in her arms. And at that moment I knew, that things could only get better for me from that point onwards.

“A teacher is one who makes himself/herself progressively unnecessary.” We were lucky to be inspired by forces like Dr. Colaço, Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Canteenwala, Sr. Ananda, Ms. Vakil, Mrs. Nivedita Iyer, Mrs. Bhujwala, Miss Pocha, Miss Kamath and Miss Mathias to mention a few, who gave us something to take home to think about besides homework. They gave us free rein, responsibility, and ownership of the work.

I started to cavort up and down those marble stairs with agility and confidence. Wilde said "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Amidst the conversations in the canteen and eating 'Anda pao', slowly but surely we all began to discover who we were and found more courage to express ourselves.

The Shed, the Den and the Basement doubled up as our playground. The syllabus jumped off the pages at us, as we sailed through afternoons of dramatized poetry, screenings of films and documentaries and play readings. College never finished. No bells deterred us.

I made friends along the way that I could write ballads about. Even though we may appear as faded faces in an old dog-eared college year book today, we felt unstoppable.

I had the privilege of becoming the S.C.E.D.A. secretary and enjoyed directing plays like Jean Genet's The Maids, Arthur Miller's The Crucible and devising a tableau called Shakespeare's Women which was a montage of monologues.

The experience of directing an adaptation of Dead Poets Society with an incredible cast and crew is something I will always treasure and celebrate. We were like motley of paints on a palette that had been given an enormous canvas to play on. Aviva Dharmaraj who played Cameron, wrote "Dead Poets Society was not about maintaining or seeking to establish an Annual Play tradition what it was and will continue to be about, is believing in a dream and having the clarity of vision, thought and courage to pursue it." These words eloquently describe the spirit of Sophia, what we took away from the place and what we carry with us.

I remember on a particularly bleary morning, as a Third year student, entering Ms. Colaço's lecture with my eyes near my knees. I had been burning the candle at both ends, as I endeavored prepare for the final examinations that loomed before me while directing the annual play. It was all getting a bit too Herculean. Dr. Colaço promptly banished me to the canteen for a rejuvenating cup of coffee. She inspired me to drink life to the lees without choking on the dregs!

My time at Sophia gave me the wings to fly, from the marble stairs to the cobbled stones of The Oxford School of Drama. It pushed me to pursue my passion.

I returned to India in 2004 and founded the Tambourine Theatre Company with my husband, with a vision to make theatre accessible to amateurs and professionals, as well as to students and teachers in the context of theatre in education. Needless to say, that over the years, it has truly been a delight and an honor to revisit the home turf of my alma mater, to facilitate workshops and be refueled by all the faces that spurred me on.

"To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield."


Roo Jhala McLaughlin

(Class of 1999)

Well I was nothing, and then something

I couldn’t sleep the entire night prior to my first day of college. Being an outstation student and living far in terms of distance from the college, I had anxiety attacks about how am I going to travel to college. Whether I would make it to college on time or not? Whether or not will I board the right train? I have been in the same school since kindergarten so I didn’t have much of an idea about how to mingle in a new place. I asked my mother to come with me to the college and when she dropped me, I turned and looked at her the same way that I did on my first day of school. I felt uncomfortable, not being able to see her face daily. The good part was that I was going to stay with my sister.

The first day of college, I saw all new faces. Constant chattering, big smiles, a glimmer in their eyes. Exchanging numbers, asking names, continuous rotation of the face to gaze at the new faces. And let’s not lie, we all checked out the best dressed and style statements present in the class.

Then enters Lavanya Ma’am,  Like every other newcomer, we hoped some fancy words. However, our smiling faces turned numb. No wonder, every student loves her the most. She throws reality in your face. She made us realize that learning doesn’t stop once you are in college. Her most motivating statement to me was once when I was just five minutes late for the class and I wasn’t allowed to enter. That day the trains that were running late. I explained to her the situation and she said, “Well darling, life is unfair”. I have always cribbed about things not going my way but that statement came to me as a realization to accept things as they are and move on.

My first year in college was difficult. I saw people around me bonding, going out, becoming roommates and most importantly being opinionated about things that mattered.

Well, I was nothing.

Forcing myself to talk to people, losing my self-confidence, giving up on everything, wary of what I spoke because I had a fear of being judged by others. As the saying goes, “Misery loves company.‟ and before the beginning of my second year of college, I lost my mother to cancer. I was unable to overcome my loss. I asked Dr. Colaco to grant me permission to join college a month after it began. Though known for her strictness, she was generous enough to grant me leave. She also kept in touch with me.

When I joined the college after the break, I was expecting my day to be an ordinary one and was hoping for it to just pass uneventfully. I was taken aback with the welcoming I received. My classmates hugged me and asked me how I was, there was a genuine effort to make me laugh, an initiative to talk to me and I found support in a few of my friends which are intact to this day. When I met Dr. Colaco, she greeted me so well, she asked me to come to her if I needed any help. I think for all students, a favorite teacher is one that remembers their names. Managing to ace the responsibility of handling the BMM department as well as remembering the names of all her students, she clearly succeeded in winning everyone’s heart. 

From that time, my perspective about myself and my circumstances took a turn for the better. I felt a rage of confidence in me. Now, I knew I had to present myself confidently because this is the time. I had to amend myself in the areas where I was lagging. The change in me was evident. I didn’t wait for the opportunity instead I volunteered to gain one. I performed in street plays, I was a part of Kaleidoscope, enacted a teacher in the farewell, finally managed to dance at the stage of Bhabha Hall, and surprisingly managed to get my name off the black list!

Now, whenever I pass the college lane it reminds me of all those moments when I had managed to sneak in without the ID card (oops!), fighting with the cab driver when he says “Yahin utar jao andar nai lunga gaadi.”, cribbing about the 8am lecture, walking with a book in hand during exams (honestly, that was just me showing off).

I cannot get those days back but Sophia has changed me for the better and that change has stayed with me.

Anisha Kanungo 

BMM Dept- Advertising - 2016

 

 

'Jalsa' - A Celebration

‘Jalsa’, the two-day inter-collegiate cultural festival came to a grand end on the 1st of August. What had started as a small initiative to promote folk art forms in Sophia College for Women has now become a huge hit with the staff and students. It is organised annually by the ‘Prism’ team, which is the cultural committee of the College.

The ‘Prism’ members worked relentlessly for weeks trying to get sponsors for the various stalls. They even managed to arrange the right people for excellent workshops through local networks.

In the end, the sleepless nights paid off. The singing workshop by Mr. Ameya of ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ fame was a huge success as seats were filled as soon as the workshop was announced. ‘Fly High Aviation Academy’ had put up an information kiosk offering knowledge about the wide variety of courses offered by them. Though stalls selling colourful dream catchers and trendy jewellery saw an immense crowd of people, the indisputable winner was the stall selling delicious homemade brownies. ‘Dot Merchandise’ and ‘Graphic Design’ had also set up their pop-up displaying an impressive array of fandom badges, journals, posters and bag tags.

‘Jalsa’ which means ‘celebration’ was indeed a fine celebration of the Sophia experience.

GLIMPSES - We call it the Sophia experience!

It is a well-known fact that creativity and innovation needs nurture. A gentle nudge from our nests of familiarity. Sophia’s understands this only too well, and succeeds time and again in encouraging the artist within us. 

Glimpses 2016, an insight to all the students about the various clubs and activities was held on the 22nd July in the Bhabha Hall. It is an introduction to the start of your journey at Sophia's and an excellent attempt to urge talent out of its hiding place. Not only is it an invitation to the bevy of opportunities available at Sophia’s, but it also aims at making these clubs a lot more accessible and allowing students to discover the various abilities they may have.

This year, our Principal Sister Ananda enriched us with a short and beautiful speech which was followed by video clips depicting the essence of the clubs. Performances by the Bhartiya Sanskritik Parishad held the audience's attention with their delicate but fierce dance moves. The club secretaries clad in classic Indian wear introduced the club executives and mentioned that the memberships to these clubs would be open for all which was then proceeded by the executive coordinators explaining what Kaleidoscope, which happens to be one of the biggest college fests in Mumbai, would be about.

It was an event of bright lights and eager faces, intent on being a part of the journey they had only dreamed of. A year of firsts for some, a year of renewed courage for a few others. One of the most beautiful experiences in your life is waiting to happen to you.

We call it the Sophia experience!